The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-07-16


locks about her so that she was wrap
ped in mantle worthy any queen
while with every sweep o. her strong
brown arms the tumbling grain did
fall like gold about her, so that she
seemed to be trampling upon her treas
ures in a manner truly royal. Also a
red glow came into her shadowy cheeks
like az though scarlet flower tossed
into clear, brown stream should rise
slowly upward beneath the limpid SUI
face and shine although" Only an
artist and poet could have painted
this so wildly. But there is a not less
striking picture, KereD over the cradle
of her old. time lovers babe, she having
forced him to keep his vows plightcd
to another maid. "There kneels she,
and Ruth's red shawl DER her head 10
please the child-there kneeIs she, I
say, beside the cradle, and k,itles him
with her nimble fingers, and digs him
i tn ribs after fashion that would
sure a. run me crazy (,hough it hath
ne'er yet been proven what a young
babe cannot endure at the hands Of
women), aud punches and pokes and
worries him for all tn world like II
kitten worrying a. flower. And he,
lying ON his back, winds all his hands
and babies and makes merry, after the
fashion o. spring stream among many
stones. But at last up gets she to her
knees and takes him fierceiy in her
strong hands, and holds him off at
arms length, looking at him, and she
saith in a deep voice, saith she. sFor
that thou art not mine, saith she, Il
hate thee; but and here comes a
change all over face and voice and
manner like as when April doth sud.
denly wake in the midst o. Wintry
day in springtide-sbut,' saith she, ''for
that thou art his, / love thee.' And
she took MIN to her bosom and bowed
down her head over him 60 that he
was hidden all in her long hair" The
story ia full OF such vivid pictures
none more glowing, however, than
when this Terrier lass, having learned
her fathers trade when his arm was
broken, is shown standing at the forge
Gas though Dame Venus had taken
away her hammer from her good man
Vulcan 10 do his work for him." But
variety and swift changes are striking
features of Miss Rives' style. A fine
humor breaks these passages and
through ali runs keen wit. A few
illustrations only are possible here.
Keren is brewing some sack for the
fond father, when up comes sinister
Peter Mouldy with his knitting and
grins at her across the caldron after the
fashion of Il horse eating briars. She
not noticing him, quoth he:
''Good morning, sweet Mistress
Lemon"
Saith she, not lookin ing Mt him:
"Thou Hest ~
elbow, mistress ?" saith he, with
his mouth as wide as church door on
a Sunday.
"Why, for calling lemon sweet"
saith she, ssWhen all the world doth
know that it is sour"
Thereat he fell grinning again.
"Sweet, sweet Mistress Lemon, tits
thee praise and not thy name. And
l will wager that thou art not sour,
Mistress KereD." "iow wilt thou find
out, either to lose or win thy wager"
quoth she.
stThus," quOth ho. And O. my word,
the homespun got his arms about her,
knitting and all, (though I would A.
laid two cows and lamb they couldn't
a. reached about her pretty waist) and
smacked right heartily full on her red
mouth. Well, conrade, thet some
thing would happn / knew full we'll,
but when she did up with him by tho
seat % his breeches and the collar o. his
ierkin and did souse him head first In
to the pot o. sack, me thought L would
a. burst asunder, like Judas Iscariot
(meaning no blasphemy).
"And when he was clumbed out,
spluttering and white with terror, she
did fish out his hat with his big knit
ting-needles, and did set 1t upon his
head, and did thrust him outside, and
did shut tho door in his face"
There is little glimmer of humor
In this passage from. the old farrier's
chat:
"Well, for alps fine talk Master
Hacket went no more to hell than do
any other men that marry-an' less
than some, seeing as how he did not
marry Il scoid, which (God forgive me,
or her, or both o. us) 1 have done.
Yea, comrade, l will commemorate
this our first meeting in eight years by
confessing to thee that my wife Gin thy
ear, comrade), that my wife is a scold.
Sometimes do verify think as how
women, like Mistress Lemon, be sent
unto men to keep 'em from bordering
too heavily concerning the absence o.
marriage in heaven. BY cock and pye,
man, as live, l do honestly believe
that 1 would rather be bachelor in
hell than the husband o. Mistress
I o,,,rv> 80, l,oo